Laura John, Law and Policy Analyst

Contact Information: Laura John Law and Policy Analyst W. Haywood Burns Institute Phone: 415-321-4100 x108 Fax: 415-321-4140 E-mail: ljohn@burnsinstitute.org

Laura John is the Burns Institute Law and Policy Analyst. Laura provides technical assistance to Burns Institute sites in the quantitative and qualitative analysis of their juvenile justice policies and practices. As well, Laura conducts research on laws and policies that contribute to racial disparities in juvenile justice systems nationwide and researches and analyzes the current status of disproportionality nationwide.

Laura is a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley - Boalt Hall School of Law. Laura coordinated the Boalt Hall Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Youth and Education Law Society where she created and implemented a street law program for youth in San Francisco and Alameda County juvenile detention facilities. Laura clerked for the East Bay Community Law representing youth and adult ex-offenders in sealing or expunging their criminal records as well as the San Francisco Public Defender, Juvenile Division. As a law student, she was a board member of the Bay Area National Lawyers Guild. Prior to attending law school, Laura served as a Project Coordinator for the Juvenile Justice Center in Boston, Massachusetts. At the Juvenile Justice Center, she worked on a project investigating the legal, educational and social needs of young immigrants in Massachusetts. Laura was also a Fulbright Fellow in Kenya where she conducted original research assessing the juvenile justice system through the eyes of the youth who go through it. Laura currently lives in Berkeley with her husband, Tim.